THE BANNERS of Wabash will be flying high at the starting
line of the 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway May 31. They’ll be
in the person of Jimmy Daywalt, who only a year ago drove in his initial
500-Classic.

Daywalt, whose ultimate dream in life is to win the
Memorial Day race, the top achievement in the auto racing world, certainly is
making great strides in reaching that pinnacle of success. When they lined up
for the 1953 500-miler Daywalt was back in the seventh row, but this year when
they move up to the starting mark the handsome Wabash driver will be in the
first row along with record-smashing Jack McGrath and Jimmy Bryan, the Arizona
cowboy.

McGrath burnt up the 2 ½ mile Indianapolis speedway oval
Saturday in qualifying, but the 28-year old local driver wasn’t far behind.
McGrath shatter the late Chet Miller’s record of 139.034 with a sizzling
141.033, but Daywalt better the old mark with a 139.789. So did Bryan with a
139.665.

In that throng of thousands of sun-baked fans were many of
Jimmy’s staunchest supporters, the racing followers form his hometown, Wabash.
Their hears pounded as the new Sumar Special, owned by Chapman Root of Terre
Haute and piloted by Daywalt, whirled around the curves, along the backstretch
and down the straightaway in front of the Pagoda.

And when it was over they applauded clear and loudly and
when the race is over May 31 they’ll be the same ones who will be there cheering
for Jimmy, no matter what the outcome is. To them he has already reached the
top and they’re going to place along the all-time Wabash greats – The George
Mulles, the WAA, the Red Milliners, the Larry Marks and the many others who have
given Wabash its acclaim as a “sports town.”

Perhaps young Jim will be the greatest of them all. It’s a
strenuous effort to pilot a race car for 500 miles. It takes guts,
determination, confidence or what have you, but this writer will tell you one
thing, Jimmy Daywalt has them all. To top it off he’s a gentleman and what we
know about it, that’s what good athletes are made of whether they drive a race
car, are a race jockey or kick a football.

So, Mr. Daywalt, we believe you know how you stand with Mr.
and Mrs. Wabash and Junior Wabash. Just remember our hearts are out to you and
you’ll always be part of our memories in sports.